Trending Now

You are here

City may revisit budget for Airport Road repairs

Blackfoot City Council will hold a public hearing on May 7 to discuss reopening the city budget to release funds for further repairs on East Airport Road. The stretch of road is riddled with potholes and has been the subject of numerous complaints in recent months by homeowners in the area and by those who have to drive the road frequently.
At a city council meeting Tuesday night Blackfoot Mayor Mike Virtue explained to the council and a group of interested citizens that repairs are already scheduled to begin around April 15 (weather permitting) for much needed repairs on Airport Road from Teeples Drive to Highland Drive. These repairs will be paid with federal funds.
However, Virtue said that the city wants to add an additional project to the road, reconstructing from Highland Drive past Arbon Street (close to Rose Road).
"The road needs repaired, there's no question about it," Virtue noted as citizens joked about their teeth rattling out of their heads as they drive down the street.
"The city has the funds for the added reconstruction; however, the money is not in the current fiscal year budget," he explained.
Virtue estimates that the scraping, redoing and resurfacing of the road will cost the city approximately $275,000.
If the budget is reopened and the funds are approved, Virtue will move forward to get bids for the project with the goal of having the project complete by Sept. 30.
Virtue said the road construction projects on Airport Road should not affect the right-of-way on anyone's personal property.